Chapter Three: Tessa

“You said no?! Why?” Sana yelled that evening.

We met up for drinks at a downtown bar and I recounted the events of that morning.

I frowned. “I don’t want to be married.” 

Wasn’t that already obvious? It was a spur of the moment thing which was not supposed to happen anyways. I had simply gotten carried away by it. 

It didn’t help that I could only vaguely remember what happened that night. How did we go from wanting to have some fun to getting married and eventually ending up in bed? I couldn’t understand. 

Before he left my apartment, Owen sat me down and gave me his offer.

He needed a wife for business reasons. Someone to help him look responsible while he gunned for a deal and also to get his parents off his back for a while. 

“Why don’t you just pick one of your wealthy friends' daughters or something? Won’t I look like a gold digger to the rest of the world?” I asked.

“Ms Hayes, the media can easily be manipulated. Everyone loves a good love story.” He said.

I wasn’t sure about that but I let him continue.

“You will be duly compensated after one year when we get divorced. And during the time period, I’ll ensure you’re properly taken care of.” He’d said.

I thought about it for less than ten seconds before I shook my head. 

“I can’t do it.” I said immediately.

He rose to his feet. “Don’t be in a hurry. Think about it first.” 

Dipping two fingers into his breast pocket, he brought out his card. The same one he left on the bed side at the hotel weeks before.

“Call me when you’ve really given it a thought.” He said with emphasis. 

I took the card and nodded even though I already knew my answer. 

Sana’s yelling brought me back to reality. She shook me by my shoulders as she spoke. 

“It’s just one year! Think of the benefits. You’re married to one of the most eligible bachelors in America. You can help your company secure the gig and get a huge promotion and by the time you both part ways, you have enough money in the bag to fund the lifestyle you want.”

To be fair, the offer seemed tempting. But being in the public eye was not what I wanted for myself. I liked to lurk in the shadows. Which is ironic because I belonged to the marketing department in my company. 

“You don’t even know how much he plans to give me.” I pointed out in my defense. 

“It’s way more than your annual salary. That’s for sure.” 

“Sana…” I laughed. 

“Girl I’m being for real!” 

I shook my head. That was not enough to convince me.

“I can already picture your wedding. It’s going to be lit.” She grinned. 

“Technically we’re already married.” I pointed out with a shrug not minding the ridiculous dreamy smile on her face. 

“Even better but there has to be…” she trailed off. 

“Oh. My. Goodness.” Sana’s eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked behind.

“What is it?” I tried to turn but she held me in place. 

“Don’t look. Austin and Clarissa just walked in.”

“What the actual fuck?” I cussed.

I had been doing great without seeing them and now they just had to be here.

“Play it cool. Clarissa’s approaching.”

I glared at Sana like she was the culprit. 

The smell of Clarissa’s fruity perfume reached my nostrils as she got closer.

“Hi Sana,” she grinned.

Sana forced a smile back. “Hi bitch,”

Clarissa was unmoved by it. “Easy now.” 

She faced me with a saccharine smile. “Hello Tessa,”

I gave her a once over. She was glowing. She looked happy. All dolled up and ready to gloat about the man she stole from me.

This was my chance to say the meanest things but when I looked at her all I could feel was the sting of her betrayal.

“Ten years. Ten whole years of friendship and you chose to do this to me?” I asked. 

I saw a flash of guilt in her blue eyes but it was gone as soon as it came.

She shrugged instead. “It just happened.”

“There are thousands of men in this city and the one person you decided to go for was my boyfriend?” I was even more aggravated but her nonchalance. 

Speak of the devil and he appeared. Austin was next to her within few seconds.

“Babe, I just got us a table.”

“So you’re capable of planning dates?” I asked with a sarcastic chuckle.

The last time I saw him, he felt guilty for his actions but now he seemed cocky about it.

“I found a woman who deserved it.”

“Yet you were sneaking around with her for the longest time.” Sana cut in with a sneer at both of them.

I felt a pang of hurt in my chest. Yes I was over the relationship, it wasn’t worth my time anyways but my friendship with Clarissa ending on a note of betrayal was so blindsiding. I would never have expected in a million years. But here we were.

“Oh well. We actually came here to celebrate some good news.”

“Austin finally got a job?” Sana said sarcastically.

I fought back a snort. This girl was always so direct. 

Clarissa seemed offended. “We’re working on that. But…”

She flashed an engagement ring in our faces.  

“We’re getting married!” She squealed like a little girl.

Few months prior, I would have been over the moon that my best friend was getting married and I would inevitably be the maid of honor.

But today she was telling me to my face with such audacity that she was getting married to a man that was mine for three years. 

I was angry. For three years, he never thought to propose, he didn’t even plan dates, yet he was doing all that for her in a few months. I was pained that he had wasted my time when he knew I was not the girl he wanted. 

With a forced smile I said, “Congratulations to you both. It’s wedding season after all.” 

Sana and I exchanged knowing glances and smiled. “It certainly is.” She agreed.

Clarissa frowned. “What’s all that smiling about?”

“Oh I’m getting married too.” 

Austin’s smile immediately wiped.

Clarissa scoffed. “Right. Like you could find a man so soon.” 

“Oh, you’ll see.” I said, grinning wider. 

They definitely would.